Gelatin dynamite explosives containing water



GELATIN DYNAMITE ExrLosIvEs CONTAINING WATER Takehisa Sakurai, Tokyo, Japan No Drawing. Application May 9, 1956 Serial No. 583,615

5 Claims. (c1. 52-5) This invention relates to gelatin dynamite explosives.

Gelatin dynamite explosives have hitherto contained a gel consisting of nitro-cellulose dissolved in nitroglyccrime in an amount up to more than 20% by weight of total explosive, as one of the most suitable plasticizers mixed with finely divided solid ingredients such as ammonium nitrate, saltpeter or wood meal.

Such an amount of nitrocellulose-nitroglycerine gel in the explosive however is liable to cause accidental explosion in the course of manufacture, handling, or transportation, because of the high sensitiveness of nitroglycerine-nitrocellulose gelatin dynamite.

An object of the invention is to lower the cost of production of plastic gel explosives by employing konjac mannan gel, as hereinafter defined, as a plasticizer of exceedingly low initial cost as compared with nitroglycerine gel used hitherto.

The use of water contained in the said konjac mannan gel as desensitizer is another object of the invention.

In the present invention the explosives produced with varying amounts of konjac mannan gel difier correspondingly in their sensitiveness.

Konjac mannan is a mannan contained in the tuber of konjac (Amorphaphalas konjac k. koch) which belongs to the Araceae that is produced exclusively in the Orient. Konjac mannan is marketed in powder form. It absorbs water to over 12 times its weight to form a hydrogel and swells. Further, as the water content is increased, the konjac mannan becomes viscous and adhesive, and finally an aqueous solution. The gel is coagulated with lime so as to make it edible, and the gel may also be used as an adhesive for special purposes.

In the process of this invention wherein powdered konjac mannan is employed, water is added in the amount of 12 times, and preferably 8 to 12 times the weight of the powdered konjac mannan. The swollen material thus obtained, is then kneaded with other ingredients.

According to the present invention, konjac mannan gel is used in place of part of the gel consisting of nitro cellulose dissolved in nitroglycerine in a gelatin dynamite explosive composition, which composition generally includes nitroglycerine-nitrocellulose gel and other nitrocompounds, ammonium nitrate or saltpeter as an oxygensupplying agent and wood meal or starch, as a combustible agent. In the present invention where konjac mannan gel is used principally as a plasticizing agent, the preferred proportion of konjac mannan gel ranges from 2 to 4% by weight as compared with 14 to 22% by weight of nitrocellulose gel in the explosive. When konjac mannan gel is used for both plasticizing and desensitizing purposes the preferred proportion is from 8 to by weight as compared with 20 to 25% of nitroglycerinenitrocellulose gel.

The hydro-gel of konjac mannan employed in the present invention is distinguished from materials such as cereal fiour gelatinized with water, Arabian gum, agaragar which materials have already been used in explosive mixtures by the fact that the hydro-gel can be obtained l 2 by merely admixing konjac mannan with water-at ordi nary temperatures, whereas the-latter mentioned 'rnate'- rials have ,to be subjected to'boili ng' before use. This property of konjac mannan can apparently furnishfai remarkable advantage when carrying'out 'the present invention on an industrial scale. f i

Furthermore, konjac mannan can be converted into a gel by means of a small quantity of water, the gel so produced remaining unchanged, thusk'eeping the explosive plastic for a long time period In order toillustrate the present invention, the follow ing examples will be given, wherein the propertiesof low nitro gelatin dynamite explosives made according to this invention are compared with'those' produced by the usual processes. A I g I In the following tables A -den'otes aplastic gelatin dynamite I explosive of ordinary sensitivity having been given sufiicient plasticity with konjac mannan gel, and B represents such explosive provided with additional plasticity together with increased insensitiveness, i. e., so insensitive that it could not explode, even when attempts are made to detonate the explosive with the envelope opened; by means of a number of percussion caps. It is only by filling or enclosing the explosive in an iron tube and by using gr. of ordinary dynamite, that the explosive can be detonated, C denotes an ordinary gelatin dynamite explosive not according to the invention.

Composition of explosives Nitroglycerine gel and nitrocellulose 18. 0 22. 0 30.0 Ammonium nitrate 69. 0 57. 2 63. 0 Saltpeter 5.0 5.0 Starch 1.5 1.8 2.0 Wood meal 0.5 5.0 4. 0 Naphthalene 1 3.0 1. 0 1. 0 Konjao mannan gel 3. 0 8. 0

1 Combustible materials.

Properties of the above explosives A B C Detonation primed in the open with:

percussion caps 1 E 5N 5E percussion caps 10. E 5N 5E percussion caps 20 E 5N 5E Detonation volocity m./s. m an iron tn 5, 500 5, 100 5, 000 Specific gravity 1. 49 1. 5 1. 49

E: exploded. N: not exploded.

It is to be understood that the effectiveness of the explosives obtained according to the present invention is by no means inferior to the usual explosives.

Although the details of the invention have been hereinbefore described, it should be understood that various modifications may be made within the scope of the following claims.

This is a continuation-in-part of 227,738, filed May 22, 1951.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A gelatin dynamite explosive composition comprising an oxygen-supplying agent, a combustible material and konjac mannan gel present in the amount of 2 to application Serial No.

4% by weight of the composition, said gel consisting of- Patented Aa '12, (s,

3. A gelatin-dynamite explosive comprisingnitrocellulose dissolved in glycerine and konjac mannan gel consisting of powdered konjac mannan and 8 to 12 times the amount thereof, by weight, ofwater, said konjac mannan gel-being present in an amount from 3 to 8% by weight of the totalcomposition. V

4: A gelatin dynamite explosive composition comp'rise ing,-20;to25-%, by weight, of a gel'of nitrocellulose dissolved-in -glycerine, an-oxygen-supplying composition selected from the group consisting-of ammonium nitrate andsodium nitrate, combustible material selected from agroupconsistingmf woodmeal-and starch and 8 to 10%, by weight, of konjae mannan gel consisting. of powdered 'konjac manna-nandS to 12times the weight thereof of watere- 5 A gelatin dynamite explosive composition -compris-' ing 14 to 22% .by weight, of nitrocellulose dissolved -:in glycerine,- an: oxygen-"supplying: agent selected from the group consisting of ammonium nitrate and--saltpeter; a combustiblea-gent selected from the group consisting e of wood meal *and starch, andkonjac mannan gel-in-an amount "from 2 to"4% by weight of theto'talcompositioh and consisting of powdered konjac mannan and water in an amount equivalent to 8 to 12 times the amount by" weight of the konjac mannan.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,741,146 Babcoek Dec. 31, 1929 2,231,044 Winning Feb. 11, 1941 2,314,806 Winning Feb. 11, 1941 2,314,807 Winning Feb. 11, 1941 2,314,808 Winning Feb. 11, 1941 2,314,809 Winning Feb. 11, 1941 2,314,810 Winning" Feb. 11, 1941 2,314,832 Kirst etal. 1 Feb. 11, 1941 2,654,666 Taylor Oct. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,3112 Great Britain of 1889 645,039 Great Britain' Oct.- 27, 1950 

1. A GELATIN DYNAMITE EXPOSIVE COMPOSITION COMPRISING AN OXYGEN-SUPPLYING AGENT, A COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL AND KONJAC MANNAN GEL PRESENT IN THE AMOUNT OF 2 TO 4% BY WEIGHT OF THE COMPOSITION, SAID GEL CONSISTING OF POWERED KONJAC MANNAN AND 8 TO 12 TIMES THE WEIGHT THEREOF OF WATER. 